Hel. But by the ear that hears most nobly of him;
His face I know not.”
Shall we say here, that Shakespeare has unnecessarily made his loveliest character utter a lie?—Or shall we dare think that, where to deceive was necessary, he thought a pretended verbal verity a double crime, equally with the other a lie to the hearer, and at the same time an attempt to lie to one's own conscience?
“Merry Wives Of Windsor.”
Act i. sc. 1.—
“Shal. The luce is the fresh fish, the salt fish is an old coat.”
I cannot understand this. Perhaps there is a corruption both of words and speakers. Shallow no sooner corrects one mistake of Sir Hugh's, namely, “louse” for “luce,” a pike, but the honest Welchman falls into another, namely, “cod” (baccalà). Cambrice—“cot” for coat.
“Shal. The luce is the fresh fish—